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Agenda item

Joint Report of the Cornish Mining Team and DCC Head of Service for Planning, Transportation and Environment (PTE/20/35) attached

 

Minutes:

(Councillor P Sanders declared a personal interest by virtue of his membership of the Tavistock Historic Heritage Trust)

 

The Committee considered the Joint Report of the Cornish Mining Team and Devon County Council’s Head of Service for Planning, Transportation and Environment (PTE/20/35) on the process for, and progress in, reviewing the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site (WHS) Management Plan. The draft final plan (attached to this Report) was subject  to formal and approval by the Cabinet Member for Community, Public Health, Transportation and Environmental Services prior to adoption.

 

Devon County Council Officer and Member representatives for the World Heritage Site have been involved in the development of the reviewed Site Management Plan throughout the process.  The Devon County Council’s Officer response on the draft document, submitted as part of the public consultation process, was forwarded to the WHS Partnership Board in August 2020 and its recommended amendments had been incorporated into this draft of final plan.

 

Local Authorities were now being asked to adopt this final version of the reviewed and updated Management Plan. 

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The Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site (CMWHS), also known as “Cornish Mining”, was Inscribed by UNESCO on its World Heritage List in 2006.  The World Heritage designation covers ten geographical areas, nine in Cornwall and one in Devon covering the Tamar Valley and Tavistock.  

 

The purpose of the Management Plan was to create a strategic policy framework within which the various management interests could operate.  To do this it explained the reasons for designation, described the WHS and its key features, defined how it was  protected, outlined the key management issues and defined policies and strategic actions. 

 

Three appendices accompanied the Plan, including the World Heritage Site Area Statements A1-A10, and these can be viewed online at: www.cornishmining.org.uk

 

The Committee also received a presentation from the Devon County Council’s Archaeologist and Historic Manager and the World Heritage Site Co-ordinator, (Cornwall Council), (Presentation attached).

 

Members’ comments and discussion points with the Officers included:

 

·         South West Local Plans referred to the WHS Management Plan to align policies and strategies;

·         individual planning application for renewable energy projects for example would be considered on their individual merits within the context of the Plan where Climate Change was prioritised as a key feature;

·         policies in the Plan to promote sustainable tourism and economic activity;

·         the implications of the forthcoming The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government consultation on its White Paper ‘planning for the future’ on planning reforms on which a response had been made by the WHS Plan Team; no details were available and the implications therefore remained uncertain; and

·         representation on the WHS Partnership of local authorities which included Tavistock Town Council and the value of the Town as a World Heritage site.

 

Councillor P Sanders MOVED, SECONDED by Councillor J McInnes and 

 

RESOLVED that the World Heritage Site Management Plan be endorsed prior to its proposed formal adoption by Devon County Council through a delegated Cabinet Member decision.

 

Supporting documents:


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